What has AAP done for Dalit students in 7 yrs, asks Cong

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) Congress on Sunday questioned Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over what it has done for the students of Dalit community after being in power for seven years.

"It has dawned on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, after being in power for the past seven years, the need to provide a helping hand to make Dalit students excel in studies, and make their mark in life, but I wonder what was the Delhi CM doing all these years to help Dalit students?" state Congress chief Anil Kumar said.

His statement came a day after Kejriwal presented 22 Dalit students, who passed Class 12 from Delhi government schools with scores above 90 per cent, with certificates and shields on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti.

"The falling standard of school education in Delhi was evident from the fact that out of the 1.60 lakh students, who took the 12th Board exams this year, there were around 25,000 Dalit students, but only 22 Dalit students could score 90 per cent marks," the Congress leader said.

"During Valmiki Jayanti and Ambedkar Jayanti, CM Kejriwal makes lofty announcements which are rarely ever fulfilled, and his promise of providing coaching to Dalit students to become doctors, engineers, IAS and IPS officers, would have to be taken with a handful of salt, as the Delhi government does not have any data about how many children have prospered from such government-sponsored coaching centres so far," he added.

Kejriwal in his speech on Saturday also assured to provide Rs 10 lakh loan to the students, particularly Dalit students, to go for higher studies, saying: "You will not have to struggle as Baba Saheb."

"This grandiose announcement was intended to varnish Arvind Kejriwal's image, and not to fulfil, like all his hollow promises," Kumar said.